So you’ve decided you want to lose some weight. You understand that in order to do so you need to be in a caloric deficit.

You acknowledge that you can do that via nutritional and / or exercise interventions. You admit that nutritional interventions are the most impactful and effective.

You set a starting caloric intake goal.

Weight is being lost.

All is well and good in the world.

But what happens when the needle stops moving in the direction you want?!?! Do you reduce calories ? Do you do so right away? If not, when?

This visual should provide you a step by step guideline for deciding if you should reduce your calories during a weight loss phase. Start at the top left and follow the path accordingly:

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF…

First and foremost, in your weight loss phase, you should have a target ROL (rate of loss). The first question you need to ask when you don’t like the change you see on the scale is:

“Did I stop losing at my intended ROL?” If your rate of change IS within your targeted range, do not change anything!

If it's not there are two things to consider:

If your ROL is FASTER than intended - you probably want to INCREASE calories by 50-100+ per day then re-assess in a week or two.
Have progress pictures and measurements ALSO stopped improving?

If they are still improving / changing favorably - do not change anything!
If they are not improving, then we need to move forward with our evaluation.

At this point we need to ask: Have you been 90% or more adherent to your diet?

If not, your goal is to increase your consistency and adherence to your current plan / protocol.

If you have, ask: Are you experiencing a period of increased stress and / or reduced sleep?

If you are and this is likely to be a temporary environment - Do not change anything and carry on as usual. Once sleep improves and/or stress lowers, you will likely experience a "whoosh" (sudden drop in weight).

If you are and this stress / poor sleep is likely to be present for more than a few days: Take a 1-4 week diet break while focusing on reducing stress and improving sleep hygiene.

If you are not stressed and are sleeping great then you are in a position where it makes sense to consider making a nutritional adjustment; consider reducing calorie intake by ~50-200 calories per day.

BE PATIENT & OBJECTIVE

It may be surprising to see so many scenarios in which I'm recommending you DO NOT make an adjustment to your nutrition.

However, being patient and objective is arguably the most important element to a successful weight loss phase.

Prematurely removing calories, especially when done multiple times, can lead to lower energy levels, reduced training performance, increased hunger, moodiness, irritability, loss of libido, so on and so forth. These things will almost certainly cut your dieting efforts short; many times before you reach your goal

Hopefully this diagram will provide you with some clarity and objectivity in future decision making, increasing the likelihood of “full term” and successful bouts of weight loss.

UNTIL NEXT TIME - COACH JOHN

COACH JOHN